Sky's the Limit for DMA's Search Engine Marketing Council; Energized Council Has All-New Agenda, Events, Educational Opportunities

June 14, 2007 — Agewise, search engine marketing is a fifth grader just hitting a meteoric growth spurt. Knowledgewise, the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Search Engine Marketing Council (SEMC) is the smart kid in the class who throws off the curve. Now that kid’s growth spurt is resulting in more energy to do more things — like the SEMC’s new roster of programming, meeting agendas, and events.

DMA’s SEMC’s burst of energy comes at an opportune time, considering search engine marketing is the fastest growing direct marketing channel. Google — itself turning 10 in September — saw first quarter 2007 revenues skyrocket 63 percent over last year’s results. Moreover, 42 percent of consumers buy products they found by searching the Internet, according to the DMA’s “2007 Statistical Fact Book.”

What all this means is that this “young” form of marketing is enjoying great popularity. Turning that popularity into a healthy bottom line for businesses is the SEMC’s mission, with its new slate of conference and seminar programming, topic-oriented monthly council meetings, an updated blog, and networking events.

“It's truly amazing that the speed of SEM evolution has created few experts; and it is only through forums such as our Search Engine Marketing Council that our members — whether they are new to search or veterans — can learn from each other,” said Lisa Merizio Smith, DMA’s director of segment services. “The monthly council calls are lively and sometimes feature heated expert debate about this quickly progressing marketing field.”

“This is an exciting time for the SEMC,” said Andrew Wetzler, SEMC membership chairman and president and co-founder of MoreVisibility. “We have a very robust schedule of events for the second half of 2007. It's an excellent opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about search engine optimization or search engine marketing strategy and tactics to get involved."

The following individuals are responsible for the reinvigoration of this DMA special-interest council:

· Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO, SuccessWorks

· Jeannette Kocsis, Vice President, Digital Marketing, Harte-Hanks

· Doug Garfinkel, Vice President, Media and Acquisitions, Epsilon

· Detlev Johnson, Vice President, Position Technologies

· Mike Moran, Distinguished Engineer, IBM

· Lee Odden, President, TopRank Online Marketing

· Amanda Watlington, Owner, Searching For Profit

· Andrew Wetzler, President, MoreVisibility

SEMC Announces Upcoming Events

DMA’s “new-and-improved” SEMC’s monthly meetings feature hour-long conference calls covering activities and open forum topics, such as “Why Direct Marketers Are Already Equipped for SEM,” “The Future of Search: Personalization, Semantic Search, SEO/PPC Convergence, Etc.,” and “In-House vs. Outsourcing.”

From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on June 27 at the DMA Seminar Center (1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York City), the council is sponsoring a seminar titled “Search Engine Marketing — The Basics.” The seminar’s four sessions cover: SEO and writing for the Web; increasing site traffic and sales by building popularity through social media, online public relations and link building; pay-per-click advertising; and increasing brand equity by leveraging search engines.

Council members pay $99, DMA members pay $299 for the seminar and a one-year council membership, and non-members pay $399. To view the seminar agenda, visit http://www.the-dma.org/councilevents/searchseminar/. For more information, call DMA Customer Service at 212.790.1500 or e-mail customerservice@the-dma.org.

Moreover, not a day will go by without exploring search engine marketing in workshops, labs, and sessions during DM Days New York Conference & Expo, which will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, June 19 – 21.

Additionally, during DM Days New York, the SEMC will hold a breakfast meeting with the members of DMA’s Email Marketing Council (EMC) from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Council members pay $45, DMA members will be charged $50, and non-members pay $60. To register or for additional information, visit www.dmdays.org.

Also, a council-sponsored virtual seminar series is in production, according to Merizio Smith.

About the Search Engine Marketing Council

The mission of The DMA Search Engine Marketing Council (SEMC) is to be the primary search marketing resource for the direct marketing community. The SEMC promotes ethical guidelines through creation, education, and adherence to best practices. SEMC constituencies include marketers, media properties, and search engines. Through active education, the SEMC helps organizations to understand search engine marketing’s value and effectiveness, and to discover strategies for integrating search into their overall marketing plan.

Members actively participate in best practices case work, research studies and direct marketing community outreach, educational events, and virtual and in-person seminars. Members proudly demonstrate their commitment to DMA standards and council best practices.

For information about SEMC, its mission, and its events, visit http://www.the-dma.org/councils or contact Lisa Merizio Smith at lmerizio@the-dma.org or 212.790.1567.

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